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| 28 марта, 2013

Plan for sustainable development of the ‘third sector’ in Russia, put forward in new report

A report on the expansion of institutions of civil society in Russia (to be presented on March 29^th) prepared by the Foundation on Development of Civil Society – states that global experience indicates that the growth of the ‘third sector’ (non-governmental organisations) is only possible with the active participation and support of the Government.

The report makes the following recommendations to ensure sustainable development of the ‘third sector’:

1. To work out a single governmental concept for the formation and support of the ‘third sector’in Russia. This should provide for favourable legal, organisational and material conditions needed to stimulate growth in this sector. It should also implement a number of government programmes which will dictate the type of requirements needed by NGOs to provide social services to the population. This should lead to a restructuring of the ‘third sector’ and thus increase the number of people providing social services to the population - an improvement on the present situation where this sector is dominated by organisations which are attempting to take on the role of public watchdogs.

2. To create a single platform reporting back on the activities of the ‘third sector.’ This will lead to the creation of a single database set up to allocate grants and other programmes to be funded by the state.

3. To ensure the elimination of bureaucratic red-tape which is at present preventing NGOs from getting access to state funding. The mechanism of state support should be simple, open, equal and transparent.

4. To establish compensatory measures (tax credits, benefits, etc.) for commercial organisations providing funds to socially orientated NGOs.

5. To give tax breaks to ‘third sector’ organisations which provide social services to the population.

6. To provide state support to NGOs both for the execution of their projects and programmes and also their operations.

7. It is international practise to fund religious organisations – usually for educational programmes and aid for the socially vulnerable. In Russia too, traditional faiths could also receive government funding for these activities.

These defined objectives are achievable, provided that a pool of Autonomous Non-Profit Organisation (ANO) operators responsible for the allocation of grants is created along with legitimate expert advice. These ANO operators should work alongside federal bodies of executive power, who could (given the necessary funding) help out socially orientated NGOs: for example the Ministry of Education could support adult education and children’s activities; the Ministry of Health – the care of the sick and elderly; Ministry of Sport and Tourism – student sports; Ministry of Communications – internet self-regulation; Ministry of Internal Affairs –work with victims and crime prevention; Ministry of Defense – support for search teams and patriotic education etc.

The head of the Foundation Konstantin Kostin explained to our reporter at REGNUM that these measures should result in the emergence of a number of large, national NGOs or a network of regional and inter-regional NGOs working in varying fields of activity. The ANOs should introduce professional training courses for organisations in the third sector to ensure proficient performance on grant programmes and public services.